Accommodation levels in Rio de Janeiro are anticipated to be at full occupancy during the conference. While it is not the responsibility of the United Nations to procure accommodation for the media, it should be noted that the Brazilian national organizing committee for Rio+20 has committed to blocking a minimum of 500 hotel rooms in Rio de Janeiro for media covering the conference. Costs must be covered by the media. For more details, visit: http://www.rio20.gov.br For information regarding room availability please contact: Terramar Travel Agency

The Municipality of Rio de Janeiro announced that this year the city?s famous New Year?s celebration will focus on sustainability and highlight the Rio +20 Earth Summit coming up in June 2012. Earlier this month, the national commission charged with preparations for Rio+20 gathered for the first time to discuss Brazil?s plans for the summit. Elsewhere in the region, other Latin American governments are also defining national and regional priorities for Rio+20.

Meanwhile, civil society and the private sector are also beginning to focus on Rio+20. Earlier this month, representatives from 150 organizations and social movements from 27 countries gathered in Rio in preparation of the People?s Summit that will be held in parallel to the main UN summit next June. The private sector is also jumping on board and Brazil?s Instituto Ethos, a corporate social responsibility association, will host a conference in early August that will look at various aspects of sustainability and the green economy. Meanwhile, the environment ministers of the Mercosur trade group, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil initiated discussions on priorities for Rio+20 and the need to develop a common environmental agenda for the region.

For one, countries in Latin America should take advantage of the growing momentum in the renewable energy sector and commit to expanding renewable energy capacity through smart energy policies. A recent report from UNEP highlights that in 2010 worldwide new investments in renewable energy rose to $211 billion, a 32% increase over the previous year. For the first time, most of this new investment is in developing countries. Leading the way are emerging economies, including Brazil which saw $7 billion investments in 2010 and an annual growth rate of 62% during the 2004-2010 period.

The Rio+20 Earth Summit is a key opportunity for Latin America to commit to policies that will increase renewable energy generation. The increased investments in renewables in Latin America and in other developing world regions are directly linked to smart policies such as targets for renewables and feed-in tariffs.